BURLINGTON, Iowa – (September 1, 2009) – Winegard Company, a leader and innovator in mobile satellite and antenna solutions, announces the Winegard SPA (semi-permanent auto acquire), a motorized auto-acquiring, multi-platform, fixed-base VSAT Communications satellite antenna. It can be mounted to portable or permanent bases, and is designed to track inclined orbit satellites.

Mobile satellites such as the SPA are frequently used at oil and gas drilling sites, or other off-shore work sites, and can be multi-functional. When traditional methods of communication are no longer feasible due to location or technological difficulties, a SPA antenna can provide Internet and telephone connectivity on-demand from even the most remote location.

The state-of-the-art SPA is an economic and superior low-cost alternative to similar antennas on the market. The SPA has multiple deployment sensors for quick signal acquisition, including a GPS, a compass and a tilt sensor.

The 39-pound SPA antenna runs off GPS, and is available with a .96 meter, a 1.2 meter or a 1.8 meter reflector. It works with multiple platforms, including iDirect and Hughes, and accepts a wide range of BUC sizes (including NGRC 3W and NGRC 4W).

The SPA is operational in winds of up to 50 mph — a critical consideration for off-shore applications — and it can survive 125 mph winds.

About Winegard Special Products

Winegard Special Products is a division of the Winegard Company of Burlington, Iowa. Winegard has built a worldwide reputation based on an unwavering commitment to innovation and continuous improvement in the quality, cost and delivery of its products, services and processes. Winegard employs more than 450 highly skilled, dedicated professionals, some of whom have 20, 30 and even 40 years with the company.

Winegard currently manufactures a wide array of products in five distinct product lines:

Special Products: Two-way VSAT satellite communications systems for the enterprise, energy, and emergency response industries in 0.84 meter, 0.96 meter, 1.2 meter and 1.8 meter configurations.

Mobile Television Reception Products: Recreational vehicle, truck, marine, and automotive applications. Digital and HD satellite TV antennas ranging from manual crank-up models to fully automatic stationary and in-motion systems with GPS/DVB. DTV and HDTV bi-directional and omni-directional over-the-air antennas. Ground antenna mounts and accessories.

Satellite TV Antennas and Mounts: Residential antennas ranging in size from 46 cm to 1 meter, including mounts and accessories.

Over-the-Air DTV/HDTV Antennas: DTV and HDTV VHF/UHF/FM TV antenna systems, distribution and preamplifiers, power supplies and accessories. Telemetry: Medical and data antenna systems, distribution amplifiers, power supplies and accessories.